


Of Teachers and Teacups

by firelordes



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Romantic Comedy, Anxiety, Co-workers, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, History Teacher Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Levi is Bad At Feelings (Shingeki no Kyojin), Literary References & Allusions, Literature, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Other, Past Relationship(s), Pining Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Pride and Prejudice References, Reader-Insert, Romantic Comedy, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Teacher Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Workplace Relationship, Y/N has anxiety, Y/N is a Virgo and her and Levi are a Virgo/Cap power couple, but so is Y/N, english teacher y/n, much ado about nothing inspired teehee, romcom, setting characters up, they hate each other first but y'all know how that goes bye
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 19:47:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29194794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firelordes/pseuds/firelordes
Summary: In which you’re the cute high school English teacher everyone loves, Levi is the strict history teacher everyone fears, and both of your students devise a plan to get you to date so he’ll go easier on them while grading (not realizing you two are falling in love all on your own.)
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Annie Leonhart, Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir, Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Reader, Levi Ackerman & Reader, Levi/Reader, Marco Bott & Jean Kirstein, Marco Bott/Jean Kirstein, Moblit Berner/Hange Zoë, Oluo Bozado/Petra Ral, Reiner Braun & Bertolt Hoover & Annie Leonhart, Reiner Braun/Bertolt Hoover, Sasha Blouse & Connie Springer, a lot of the relationships are background tbh but mentioned
Comments: 69
Kudos: 149





	1. Pride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi all, welcome to my first fanfic in 7 years. this is a slow-burn, enemies to friends to lovers fic. buckle up for the ride, and i hope you like y/n. <3 also ms. y/n sounds weird so i’m giving you a generic last name. it’s bennet (like elizabeth bennet from pride & prejudice). i'm an english major so there's lit references scattered all over. thanks n happy reading hehe. pls leave some nice comments to keep me going !!! v_v

_“I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine.”_

_\- Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice _

* * *

You start your morning out like you always do: with a hot shower, a fresh cup of tea, and avocado and eggs on toast. You’ve got the television on, though you’re not necessarily paying attention. It serves its purpose as background noise as you hum an old Sinatra tune and cook at the same time. It’s five-fifteen AM, and the birds have only begun to chirp, the sun stretching awake from its temporary slumber. The egg you’re frying sizzles on the pan and you begin to lament the fact that you won’t be able to sleep in again for a while. It is the start of a new school quarter, and you’re getting a fresh batch of students that you will come to know before you part ways with them at the end of the year. New faces, new personalities. New details to learn about new people. 

Being a high school English teacher isn’t so bad. You love what you do: the subject, the craft. (You didn’t go to grad school and write a sixty page thesis about Shakespeare and 2000’s romantic comedies for nothing.) You love each and every one of your students (even the ones who test your patience), and do your best to remember their names. Sometimes the graduated seniors will drop by your classroom to surprise you, updating you on their lives and gushing about how much they miss you. You don’t need anybody else but your job and your solitude. If your mother heard you say that, though, she’d throw a fit. She’d whine about how you’re almost past the age of fertility, even though you’re only thirty-two. She’d exclaim that she’s not getting any younger either, and that she might drop dead at any given moment. Mama Bennet wants grandchildren, and if she has to bust out the dramatics to do so, then so be it. 

You roll your eyes at the thought of your mother’s nagging, trying to block out her voice in your head. You didn’t need a man. And besides, the last one proved to be a good reason for never entering another relationship again. Unnamed ex-boyfriend can stay in the past, and potential future men can stay in the future. Right now, you are confident enough to say that you’re okay with becoming a crazy cat lady. Your cat, Hermes, meows at you from the living room. Turning off the stove and flipping the egg onto your avocado-spread toast, you quickly rush to fill his food bowl. He stares at you with his olive green eyes, waiting intently for his mom to feed him. When you do fill his bowl, you pet him gently and sigh.

“You know what, Hermes? You’re the only male figure I need in my life.” He meows as if he agrees and then hungrily digs into his bowl. Your mind drifts off, though, into a daydream state: say you do find the man for you. Say he _is_ perfect, and you make perfect love and have a perfect family and live in a perfect house with a white picket fence. It’s the clichest of romantic dreams, you know, but the simplicity and contentedness of it all; that is what you yearn for. You don’t need a whirlwind romance. No fancy diamonds as gifts from a secret admirer, no kissing on boats in the rain with your childhood best friend, no gallivanting in European countries spontaneously with a stranger you just met. Even though those scenarios in romantic films make you weak at the knees. All you need is just you, the one you love, and the rest of your lives together. _Yeah, that would be nice. And we’ll sit in silence, enjoying each other’s company. That unspoken kind of love, you know?_ You suddenly shake yourself awake from spacing out. _Fuck, Y/N. You do not have time for this, you’ll be late if you don’t get ready now._ So you suppress your desires, burying them deep inside the crevices of your heart; locking up your treasure and throwing the key away. 

After breakfast, your shower, and your ten-minute makeup session, you’re already in your car, driving to the high school you work at. Before getting out of the car, you spray some flowery perfume on your neck and smooth out your red floral midi dress and matching cardigan. You make your way to your classroom, greeting students and faculty members you know. Principal Erwin Smith is walking around campus in a grey suit, walkie-talkie in his back pocket.

“Hello, Ms. Bennet,” he greets you with a nod. Erwin Smith is the most gentleman-ly man you’ve ever met; truly one of the kindest men you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. If he was your type, you’d be all over him. He never seems outwardly flirty to you, but you feel as though if you give him a chance he will absolutely sweep you off your feet. 

You smile at him kindly, “Hi, Erwin. Good luck speaking at the rally later today.” There is a sliver of pain on his face, knowing later, he’ll have to battle for the attention of over a hundred students in the big gym. But he’s a natural leader, and he always does great. The students admire him, the faculty as well. Suburban moms think he’s hot (including yours). He’ll be fine. 

The first few periods of school come and go. You take note of new faces; Marlo with the bowl-cut, Hitch with the smirk in her hazel eyes. Mina with the pigtails and the bright smile, Bertholdt the wallflower who sticks out due to his height. His best friend Reiner, who plays football, and their other friend Annie with the stoic facial expression. You make it to lunch, and take your break in the English pod with fellow teacher Petra, whom you’ve grown close to over the years. 

“So, how’s it been? Did you do anything fun over winter break?” She asks, opening her tupperware on the table.

“I cleared five books off of my reading list,” you tell her, and she cringes a bit.

“Well, if that makes you happy, Y/N.” She stabs her fork into her caesar salad, and you roll your eyes. “What, Petra?” She shrugs, feigning that there isn’t anything on her mind. You know her and this little act of hers.

You set down your half-eaten panini, “No, spit it out, c’mon.”

“Okay, well. You know I love you.”

“Yes, I love you too.”

“But.”

“But?”

“Look, what if I set you up on a blind date?” 

  
You groan, “Petra, why?! Please, enough of this. You know I’m perfectly content with my books and my cat. And I would rather hear my cat cough up a hairball than have a man profess his love to me.” (This isn’t true, but you needed to say _something_ to emphasize your point to the max.)

Petra frowns, disgusted. “Ew. Anyways, pleeease? I think it would do you some good, please? We could even go on a double date if you wanted. If it makes you more comfortable.” You find that all this talk about relationships is making you lose your appetite.

“No, Petra. I’m...an independent woman! I don’t need another man coming into my life and wrecking everything I’ve built for myself.” There is a silence between you amongst the other conversations happening in the English pod. Petra notices the slight, faraway look in your brown eyes and knows that you’re thinking about the shit that your ex put you through.

“Hey,” she says softly, “He was an absolute piece of shit. And you deserve better. You’re a hot, intelligent and yes, an independent woman. You just need an independent man...and I know just the guy for you, trust me on this.”

You sigh, “You know, I’ve been way over _him_ for months now, but the trust issues, Petra. They’re still there. And I don’t know if I’m ready for another relationship.”

“I understand, Y/N. I know it’s hard, and it’s so scary, putting yourself out there. But do you actually not know if you’re ready or are you just saying that because you wanna keep your pride?” _Damn it, Petra. You see right through me_.

“Ugh, okay. Maybe you’re right,” you conclude. You think about this for a minute. _What’s the worst thing that could happen? It’s one blind date, and if you don’t like him...well, you can just make up an excuse to leave. And then you will never have to see him again._

“Petra, how well do you even know this guy that you’re trying to set me up with?”

Petra’s eyes light up, her cheeks rosy with excitement. “Wait, does this mean yes?! Are you, Y/N Bennet, actually saying yes to my proposal?!”

You laugh a bit at the disbelief on her face, “Yes, Petra. This is me saying yes. Now c’mon, tell me more about this guy. He better not be a serial killer.”

Petra scoffs, “Y/N, please don’t doubt my taste in men, I’m actually pretty good at choosing them!”

“Well, in your case, it was more like Oluo chose to get at you first. You hated him at first sight,” you jest. “He was so annoying and he still is,” she huffs, but her eyes soften. “I love him though, and I know he really loves me. And to be quite honest, as much as he drives me insane, I wouldn’t want to be stuck with anybody else but him.” 

Sometimes you miss this feeling, the one that Petra is holding within her at this very moment. That feeling of joy, warm and fuzzy and sparkly. There are times, like this one, for instance, where you find yourself increasingly jealous. That the universe has decided to give everybody their happy endings, tied up with a little bow like a Christmas gift, except for you. You believe in love, you do: you see it everywhere you go. Your friends, your family. Your students, even. Your parents, who’ve been together for almost fifty fucking years. Your older brother and his beautiful wife and their three kids. And since you’re already admitting defeat when it comes to life and romance, you can admit that, in truth, maybe that slice of life is all you’d really like at this point. No matter how much you try to deny that fact, it comes back to bite you in the ass. You, Y/N Bennet, _do_ want to fall in love again. You know that opening your heart is the right choice, and that’s the only way you’re ever going to go places when it comes to these things. 

Petra bursts your bubble. “So, do you trust me to pick the right man for you? I promise you’ll like him. You won’t regret it.”

You nod, “Yes, Petra, I trust you. But are you going to tell me anything about this guy first?”

She giggles, “Nope! It’ll be a surprise. I’ll send you the blind date details later after work.” And just like that, the bell rings, signifying the end of lunch. You toss your panini into the trash, mildly grieving the fact that you didn’t get to enjoy its fullness. 

It is the final period of the day, and you watch as your kids trickle into your senior literature class. They’re all sweaty and full from lunchtime activities, and you’re glad you always have air fresheners plugged in and a Febreeze bottle on your desk.

“Good afternoon, everybody. I’m Ms. Bennet, and I’m your English teacher! Let’s get started with an introductory PowerPoint and then I want you to write down some facts about yourself on the 5 x 8 card on your desks.”

Syllabus day is the worst, you think; you have to talk too much, repeating info over and over and the kids obviously don’t pay attention. But it’s a short break for them before the ball really drops and that’s enough reassurance for you. When the class finishes, you remind them that you’ll be visiting the library to pick up a class textbook and you’ll be reading _Much Ado About Nothing_ the next couple weeks. They are straight-faced and tired and so are you. They leave with a few students saying goodbye. You remember the students who say farewell: a boy with Caribbean blue eyes, shaggy brown hair and toothy grin, (a girl with a sleek black bob and red scarf promptly next to him), and another boy, with long blonde hair and round aqua eyes. You also remember a tall auburn-haired girl munching on Doritos and her shorter counterpart, a boy with a buzzcut and a soccer jersey. There’s also a freckled boy, holding hands with a grumpy-looking one who waves goodbye as they head out.

After the first three days, you come to know them well. _Eren Yeager. He’s on the football team, too. Mikasa Ackerman, who plays girl’s basketball with Ymir from your other class. Armin Arlert, who loves to read. Sasha Braus, who once won a hotdog eating contest. Connie Springer, who plays soccer and is Sasha’s best friend. Marco Bodt, who plays piano, and his boyfriend, Jean Kirschtein, who plays guitar._ You memorize the rest of your students (your head hurts, truly, but if it makes them feel better, knowing that someone remembers them, it’s worth it). You take note of these students because you hear their conversations clearly. Teenagers gossip and think they’re so slick about it, but you’re at your desk, organizing worksheets and you try your best not to snicker at the “secrets” you hear. You know that Historia and Ymir kissed under the bleachers during a football game, that Dr. Zoe was a bit too into the baby pig dissection, leading their students to believe they may have some weird kinks (which was absolutely correct as Hange wasn’t too private about their sex life.) You know that Bertholdt is a “simp” for Annie, though she has no interest in him but in Armin instead. You know that Sasha almost got kicked out of culinary class for eating the cooking ingredients. And you especially know that their least favorite teacher was their history teacher: Levi Ackerman. 

You know Levi well, and at the same time, you don’t. Not at all. You know him as the most straight-laced, no-shit-taken, strict and emotionless teacher at the high school you both work for. You’ve never really interacted with him, seeing as you don’t share the same department and his is across campus from yours. But you know from the stories that he’s cold, and easily irritated. A perfectionist (much like you, but from what his students say he takes it to a whole other level.) And a clean-freak; in the brief moments you see him at teacher’s meetings or school events, he’s often in a crisply-ironed dress shirt and black pants to go with it. He’s attractive for sure; raven black hair, sharp jaw and even sharper crystalline blue eyes. Erwin’s best friend, as they and Hange have known each other since college (though Levi would probably scoff at the label.) And oh, is that man _tiny._ That was the first thing you ever noticed about him when you met him; not his stoicism or the handsome face that bore it, but his small stature. You are five foot six; five foot eight in heels. He’s five foot two, and you know how sensitive men are about their height; maybe one day you’d poke fun at him for it just to see what he says. (Though you probably shouldn’t, because even though Levi is bite size, you’re still intimidated.)

His reputation as a tough grader and his stone-faced disposition precedes him, and he remains a true mystery to you. You’ve heard the rumors and the stories over the years; it’s not a surprise. Students will make up anything. You’ve heard that Levi was a mafia boss back then, before Erwin intervened and set him straight. You’ve heard that he’s secretly a CIA agent, or a hitman by night. You’ve even heard that he had an arranged marriage once, but ditched the bride-to-be at the aisle. All these stories make you laugh, truly. Most of them obviously weren’t true. But there _are_ times when you’d like to unravel the mystery of the man he is. Curiosity _does_ plague your mind; you wonder who he really is, and his story. You like reading people like you do books.

“Ackerman,” you ask one day, as the students gossip, “Are you related to him, Mikasa?”

The girl with the scarf nods, “Yeah. He’s my cousin. Somehow,” she states dully, and you notice that she’s glaring as she says this. _Oof, family disputes?_

“Wow, that’s crazy. And you’re at the school he teaches at. Small world, huh?” You try to make a positive out of it, but she just grimaces and goes back to her work.

Armin pipes up, “Ms. Bennet, Mikasa doesn’t really like Mr. Ackerman because he’s especially hard on Eren. And it makes her upset.” You nod in understanding. Mikasa gives Armin a _why did you tell her that_ sort of look and he quietly apologizes to her.

Eren is frowning now, “Yeah, he assigns a lot of homework and grades really hard.”

Jean adds casually, “He’s a dickhead.” Marco gives him a shocked look, and you raise an eyebrow. Jean clears his throat, “Uh, I mean. He’s...not cool. Sorry, Ms. Bennet.”

You chuckle slightly to yourself. _Kids._

You assume the conversation about Levi is over, until more students begin to speak about him. It is clear your students are not going to be able to concentrate on their in-class writing assignment with this buzz about Levi going on.

“He’s sooo scary,” Sasha yawns, “But also like, kinda hot. Like in a dilf kinda way, you know?” Armin blushes, Eren’s frown deepens. Mikasa gives Sasha a _please be quiet_ type of look, and she obeys.

Connie laughs, “Ewww, Sasha likes old wrinkly men!”

Jean snorts, “Sasha has daddy issues.” Sasha’s mouth is wide open in shock, and she shrills, “You two shut up! Oh my God, I need some food right now to calm me down.” She swiftly pulls out a plastic baggie from her backpack that contains a leftover burger. _Honestly? What a mood._

On Friday, Petra texts you during third period. It’s the details of the blind date: it’s tonight, at 8 PM at Niccolo’s Italian restaurant downtown. She says to wear something nice but simple; you immediately decide that black will do. _Don’t be late!_ The final text reads, and you feel the anxiety creeping in like a shadow. You put your phone away as you sit at your desk, trying not to think about the situation at hand.

Once again, as your students settle down, they are complaining about Levi Ackerman and the immense amount of homework he gives his students.

“Why do we have to read ninety pages over the weekend?” Jean groans, and Sasha quips, “I hate it here.” You almost feel sorry for these kids, because college isn’t any better.

“Just wait till you get to college, folks,” you chime in, “You might be reading a whole book in four days.” The students make pained and disgusted faces. Armin and Marco aren’t bothered, though. They seem to be excited about the prospect of reading a new book every week. You smile; you were them once upon a time. 

When class is about to finally end, you assign the first draft of the students’ essays, due next week on Monday. You hear groans, as usual. But someone raises their hand to protest. “Yes, Eren?” You inquire.

He states, “Ms. Bennet, this is so much homework...Mr. Ackerman already gave us readings and a short essay to do over the weekend. Can you please move the draft for like...the week after next week?”

You sigh, “Eren, if I do that we’ll be a bit off schedule. I can move the due date for the draft to Tuesday if you’d all like.” 

Eren looks as if he’s about to protest once again. Armin nudges him with his elbow gently, and Eren settles down. “That’ll work, Ms. Bennet, thank you so much!” Armin says, appreciatively, and the class seems to shrug collectively as that is the best it’s going to get for them. You surmise that Levi’s classwork is going to be a problem in the future, and you’ll get many questions about changing deadlines for your class sooner than later. But again, that’s a future issue.

You’re pulling out of the parking lot, eyes on your phone, rereading Petra’s texts. Unfortunately for you, you almost back up into a passerby. “Shit!” You yelp as you slam the brakes, and roll the window down. Before you can even apologize, the person you’ve almost flattened into a pancake has some choice words to say. 

“Tch. Watch where you’re going.” 

You know that voice, and your stomach does a flip. It cuts through the warm afternoon air like a newly sharpened knife. _Fuck...is that Levi?!_ You stick your head out, and Levi Ackerman, in all his five two glory, is glaring right at you. You’re a bit stunned; you rarely talk to this man, so having him speak directly to you after years of working together indirectly is sort of a shock.

“Uh...y-yeah. Sorry,” you make an apologetic face and he walks away without saying anything else. _Good going, Y/N. The first words he’s ever really said to you, and it’s a warning_. He’s brash, but to be fair it’s because you almost ran him over. Nevertheless, he still doesn’t seem as much of a dick as his students make him out to be. You could be wrong, though. 

You slump back down in your seat, making an “ughhh” sound. Your phone buzzes, and it’s Petra sending another message saying don’t be late, please be at the restaurant at 8 PM _sharp!_ because _your date doesn’t like tardy people!_ , and all that jazz. Since it’s 6 PM and you often take forever to get fully ready for events like this, you zoom home to hop in and out of the shower, blow dry your hair, and do your makeup with a classic red lip. Hermes meows at you from your bed.

“Hermes, can you believe it? I’m about to go on a date. My first real date in ten months.” He licks his paw intently, grooming himself. You go on, running back and forth, throwing on random clothing and checking yourself out in the mirror on the other side of your room.

“What do you think, Herm?” You model a couple black outfits in front of him. He stares in boredom. “Ugh, you’re right. They’re kinda dull. If I’m gonna make my grand entrance back on the market, I should wear something more...wow. Y’know?” Your cat peers at you and blinks twice. “You’re absolutely right. I should bust out the big guns.” 

You rummage through the deepest corners of your closet before you pull out a black V-neck cocktail dress, one that hugs your body in all the right places. You haven’t worn this in forever; not since you were dating Unnamed Ex-Boyfriend. And even then, he’d told you to stop wearing it because he hated how people would stare at you. _Fuck it_. You slide the dress on, zipping it up, and glance at yourself in the mirror. 

“This is the one, Hermes! This is it,” you say, your nerves sparking with excitement. Hermes meows at you sweetly before jumping off the bed to hang out under it. _Dang, Y/N. You are so damn hot. You’re gonna knock ‘em dead._ You hype yourself up in the mirror a bit more before sliding on some matching black heels and grabbing your handbag.

As you’re driving to Niccolo’s, you take deep breaths. You even have a meditation podcast on, but you shut it off because it isn’t really helping much. Again, your anxiety has you by the throat. You feel your chest tighten and wonder if you’ve made the right decision. _Y/N stop fucking worrying about it so much. It’s going to be fine._ Your heart begins to hammer against your chest, and you take a sip from your hydroflask, sitting in the car cup holder. _Y/N. Calm the fuck down, please! It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay--_ You tell yourself this over and over again, but the uneasiness does not leave. _Hello, darkness my old friend_ , you think bitterly, _why couldn’t I just be neurotypical._ Eventually, you find yourself in the restaurant parking lot at 7:45 PM. The city is booming tonight as it usually does during weekends, and you smile half-heartedly at the skyline. Niccolo’s is packed, and you squint at it, analyzing its customers, even though you don’t even know _what the fuck_ this man looks like. Petra says she’s the one who’s set the reservation, so if you go in you should mention her name.

You find yourself still sitting in your car, unable to move. _I think I’m gonna puke_ . You can’t get out. You can’t do this. You were foolish to agree to this. This isn’t what you want. _Fuck, Y/N! Make up your mind!_ Your internal dialogue is angry and you feel hot tears pricking at your eyes. You quickly wipe them away, trying not to mess up your makeup. “I’m so sorry, Petra,” you say out loud, “But I can’t do this.” You pull your phone out, send your friend a quick apology text and make up some bullshit about how you’re not feeling well and you think you’re coming down with the flu. She won’t believe this when she reads it, and you know you’re going to get an earful when you see her next, but that doesn’t matter right now. You just want to get home, snuggle with your warmest blanket and read one of your comfort novels. So that is exactly what you do.

On the drive home, you find yourself at war with your mind. _Am I an asshole for standing my date up? Am I selfish for this? Yes, but also...self-care, right? No, Y/N, you totally left some guy alone at an expensive ass restaurant. Okay, but why do you care? You don’t even know him. Sure, you feel a little guilty, but he’ll understand, right? Petra will tell him you got sick, and it’ll be fine. And she’ll be mad at you, but not for long. Damn. I can’t believe you thought you were okay to jump back into the world of dating. It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s okay to be scared. You’ll have another chance...right? Oh, no. What if I become an old maid like my mom says I’ll be? Okay, no, I don’t care. I’ll be a fucking cat lady and it’ll be good. Yes. Y/N, you’re an independent woman. You don’t need a man._ You fall asleep on your living room couch with the television on and wake up to a bunch of texts from Petra the next morning. She’s going to kill you, but you don’t care. You made a decision, and you chose to keep your pride. 

On Monday, you intentionally avoid Petra during lunch and eat in your car, texting her that you’re sorry and have something to do right now. You care about her chewing your ear off now; she’s sort of scary when she’s mad. You meet your last period class, and most of them seem extra burnt out than before. “Hey, everyone, what’s up?” You ask before turning the smartboard on. Sasha plops down in her seat and bangs her head on her desk. Connie slides into the seat next to her, and she holds out her hand. He slaps a bag of potato chips into it.

“Mr. Ackerman gave us a surprise in-class essay,” Connie whines, “and he says we’re gonna have three more this week.” Sasha, chomping down on her chips, manages a few words with her mouth full. “Not cool...too...much...work.”

“He gave me a thirty percent on my last essay,” Eren complains, “the class average was so low. I swear he gives bad grades on purpose.”

Armin quietly says, “Well…I got a ninety percent. He’s not _so_ bad so long as you do the work in his class.”

“Okay, well not everybody can be nerdy like you, Armin. I have more important things to do,” Eren retorts.

Mikasa scoffs slightly, “Like what, playing video games since football season is over?”

“ _Mikasa!!_ ” Eren says, annoyed.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Yeager’s right, Ms. Bennet,” Jean states, “Mr. Ackerman _does_ always pile on the homework and gives us shitty grades. I mean, bad grades.” Marco nods, “He’s right. For those of us in Mr. Ackerman’s class, we can barely do the stuff for _this_ class because we have to prioritize his class more.” 

You pause. “Wait a minute...how many of you did your homework? Pull out your worksheets and your responses.” Your heart sinks when you see only a few students pull out completed papers. _Oh, no, this is not acceptable. Nuh-uh. Not at all._

“Do you think you could talk to him, Ms. Bennet? I mean, since y’all are both teachers and everything. Maybe you could talk him into giving us less work,” Connie says. Your students begin to agree. 

“Connie, I--I don’t think that’s the best idea. It doesn’t feel right telling another faculty member how they should teach their own class. A class that I’m not even in the same department as. I could get in trouble for this, especially since he’s worked here longer than I have,” you say disapprovingly. The majority of your students look defeated. There is a brief silence in the classroom before you impulsively make a decision. _Fuck. I hate seeing my kids look all sad, especially because another teacher isn’t being fair to them. They’ve all got their puppy dog eyes on. I remember being seventeen and wishing my teachers were easier on me...I’ll do it._

“Okay, okay, fine,” you say, and they erupt into cheers.

“Thank you, Ms. Bennet! Thank you so much!” Sasha says, and you internally kick yourself. _Great, now I have to deal with Levi fucking Ackerman._

The next morning, you find yourself standing in front of Levi’s history classroom, an hour before school begins. You’re wrapped in a grey cardigan and a blue floral dress, the morning air nipping at your skin. You reach to open the classroom door and…

“What _,_ ” a voice behind you snaps, “are you doing?”

You whip around, startled. It’s _him_. He’s wearing his usual crisp white dress shirt and black suit pants, briefcase in one hand, room keys in the other. You feel your cheeks getting hot; you’ve never been this close to him before. He looks...good. _But you’re not here for that kind of business, Y/N. No you are not._

“Mr. Ackerman,” you say, clearing your throat. You’re nervous as hell, and you know damn well if you don’t fix your composure now, it’ll be written all over your face. “Mr. Ackerman,” you repeat, and he interrupts with, “Move out of the way, now.” _God, they were right when they said he was pretty fucking rude._

“No, I want to talk to you,” you say, standing your ground. Your legs are shaking though, and you can’t tell if it’s because it’s cold or you’re actually scared. Maybe both.

“You may state your business once we enter the classroom,” he replies. You don’t budge. His eyes look you up and down, no doubt silently judging you. “Do I have to repeat myself again? Move out of the way,” Levi almost barks, and your feet react faster than the rest of your body does. You scoot over, he unlocks the door, and you both walk in. It’s warmer inside, and you breathe a sigh of relief. 

“Now what is it you want?” He says, setting his briefcase down on his desk without so much as a glance towards you. He begins taking papers out of his case and you take a deep breath before you start, “I’m Ms. Bennet, the English teacher. It has come to my attention that you...have been giving our students much more work than they are capable of.” 

He scoffs, “Are you suggesting that I’m too hard on those brats?”

“Brats?! That is _no_ way to speak about children,” your brow furrows, “and yes, that is exactly what I’m suggesting. I have student testimony and they aren’t able to focus on _my_ class because _you_ decided this was an Honors college seminar class.” 

“If you were competent with your teaching, then perhaps your students would be much more equipped to handle the work I assign them,” he says coolly, stacking papers on his desk now, "But it seems you are not. Much like your atrocious driving." _Is he saying that you don’t instill work ethic in your students? Like hell you don’t! Y/N. This tiny man just insulted you, your teaching skills, and your driving skills...in one breath. You are NOT letting this fly over. Fuck no._ You take back the compliment you’d given him in your head earlier. Who cares if he looks good? You are _not_ attracted to men with shitty personalities like this. 

“I do sincerely apologize for the...incident in the parking lot. But I find your language quite rude and inconsiderate,” you tell him bitterly, wishing your narrowed eyes could actually shoot daggers out of them. _Twenty-three stabs, and the tyrant falls. Maybe I should have run him over that day. Our students would call me a hero._ But still, he stands firmly behind his desk, his eyes now burning into the back of your skull. You go on, “My teaching skills are _perfectly_ competent. My students can write perfectly well, they--”

“--I beg to differ.”

“And what is the point of you assigning all this work, anyway! They barely have time for anything else!”

“It builds their character. Unlike you, Ms. Bennet, I push my students towards success.”

“Who says I don’t?!” You’ve had enough of this. You did _not_ come here so you could be harshly berated and critiqued by a man who barely even knows you. You came here to set things straight, and yet...you’re the one who’s on the chopping block. 

“Listen, just please...take their feelings into consideration,” you beg, and he clicks his tongue at that with disapproval.

Before you can say anything else, he interrupts again. "Is that all?" You nod slowly. “Then leave,” he bluntly says with no hesitation, "our business is finished."

You feel as though you've lost. _Connie, Sasha, Eren...everyone. I might have just made this a whole lot worse for you. I am so sorry._ You huff at Levi angrily, the schoolgirl blush gone, melting into seething anger on your red cheeks. There are no further words needed to be said to this man. You give him the fakest smile you can possibly muster, spin on your heel and stomp out the door in your ankle boots, slamming it as hard as you can. You speed-walk to your classroom, pulling your keys out from your cardigan pocket. _I could report him. I could do that._ As you think about this, you see Erwin walking by, on his way to the office. _I could tell Erwin._

“Hello, Ms. Bennet!” He greets, and you smile at him sweetly, “Hi, Erwin! Lovely morning, isn’t it?” You note that you have a sarcastic tone and hope he doesn’t notice. He does, though, because he is Principal Erwin Smith and nothing slides past him.

“Is something the matter?” He asks, genuinely concerned. He follows you as you make your way across campus. You find yourself spilling out, “Levi Ackerman _is_ the asshole they say he is.”

Erwin laughs deeply at this. “He sure is,” he agrees, “but when you know him as well as I and Hange do, he’s really not all that bad.”

“Erwin, he insulted my teaching skills and he’s torturing my students,” you say, irate, before realizing who you’re talking to. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m not gonna be fired for this, I hope.”

Erwin laughs once again, sky blue eyes twinkling like diamonds. “No, Ms. Bennet, you will not. I hear this about Levi all the time.”

“Ah, good to know I’m not the only one,” you say, nearing your classroom, “And...it was my first real conversation with him after all. But I think I can confidently say that right now, I despise that man. I don’t care if he’s not as bad as you say he is.” Erwin nods, “That’s understandable. Well, I’ll see you later.”

The first few periods come and go, and as much as you try, you can’t get Levi’s words out of your head. You’re kept on your toes; more self-conscious about your teaching than before. He’s in your head now, and you want to desperately get him out.

When lunch arrives, you are met with Petra whisper-yelling at you in the pod as you sit at your usual table. She temperamentally snatches her tupperware out of her tote bag, ranting about _how could you!_ and _your date was mad at me and I was mad at you!_

“Y/N, I’m not even going to lie to you. Standing up your date was a total dick move! And I knew damn well you weren’t sick.”

“Okay, well, to be fair I actually felt sick. Just not the flu like I said.” You unwrap your burrito from its foil and take a bite out of it, munching slowly. Petra lets out a cross between a sigh and a groan, “Y/N, you’re lucky I love you.”

“I’m really sorry, Petra. It’s just been a lot lately. Not to mention, my students come first and they’re having a bit of a problem. I tried to do something this morning and it just made it worse.”

“Oh? What’s up?”

“A lot of my last period students are in Levi Ackerman’s history class, they have him before me. And he’s been assigning them tons of work and they can’t complete the work in my class because he’s a much harsher grader than me. Of course they’d prioritize his class more. And this morning, I went to his classroom to talk it out with him, to get him to reconsider his teaching methods, and you know what this asshole said to me? He said _I_ was incompetent! How is a dick like that working here?! Seriously, Petra. I know you’re sort of friends with him but that’s just the truth. He’s rude and irritating and _exactly_ the type of man I hate. The fucking worst.”

When you finish your rant, you stuff another bite of your burrito into your mouth. You notice that Petra’s face has paled a bit, and you give her a look. “What, is there sauce on my face?” She seems as if she’s been caught in a lie. 

“Petra, what?!” You say, grabbing a napkin and wiping the corners of your mouth. 

She starts to laugh, slightly maniacally. She’s losing her shit.

“Petra, what the fuck. Are you okay?” 

Her laughter dies down, and she mutters, “Well, maybe it’s good you _didn’t_ go on that date then.”

You freeze. 

“Petra. Ral.”

“Y/N Bennet.”

“Petra fucking Ral.”

“Y-yeah?”

“What exactly do you mean by, ‘it’s good that you didn’t go on that date’?” You try to swallow, but your throat is blocked by how tight it is. You feel lightheaded. If your instincts are right, you know exactly what she means. And you are almost always right, especially when you trust your gut. _Oh, please don’t be true, please--_

“It was Levi,” she says, reluctantly, “that’s who you were supposed to meet at Niccolo’s Friday night. That’s who I tried to set you up with.”

This is karma.


	2. GROUPCHAT 1

**GROUPCHAT NAME:** peepeepoopoo squad  
**GROUPCHAT MEMBERS:** sasha/connie/jean/marco

* * *

**potato girl:** bruh omfg...i just had the craziest fucking idea

**discount aang:** qué

**horse face:** wtf does that even mean connie

**discount aang:** it means what in spanish you absolute fucking dumbass this is why you failed spanish 1 in 8th grade

**horse face:** I DID NOT FAIL SPANISH ONE THE TEACHER JUST DIDNT LIKE ME

**potato girl:** GUYS PLS BACK 2 THE PROGRAM !!! 

**potato girl:** y’all i think that ms. bennet and mr. ackerman would be purrrfect for each other cuz they’re both nerds. imagine them getting married n reading books for fun n having nerdy lil babies

**potato girl:** they’re both single and very, very HAWT. [fire emoji] 

**marco polo:** Omg ! Sasha I was actually thinking the same thing !! [mind-blown emoji]

**discount aang:** YOOOO ms bennet is foine u right u right. idk about mr ackerman tho  
  


**potato girl:** connie pls stop acting like you weren’t contemplating whether he was shredded under his shirt earlier 2day.

**discount aang:** WTF QUIT EXPOSING ME SASHA.

**horse face:** Ok sasha so what do you want us to do abt that. so what if their nerds

**marco polo:** *They’re

**discount aang:** *theyre 

**potato girl:** *they’re 

**horse face:** STOP FUCKING BULLYING ME DAMMIT 

**potato girl:** you make it so easy tho <3 

**marco polo:** Sorry babe she’s right

**discount aang:** this is why your failing ms. bennets english class

**marco polo:** *You’re

**horse face:** HAHA GET WREKT SPRINGER [crying laughing emoji x3]

**discount aang:** LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE JEAN YOU MADE THE TYPO FIRST

**horse face:** HYPOCRITE

**discount aang:** nO YOUR THE HYPOCRITE 

**marco polo:** *YOU’RE !! Like *YOU ARE. Let’s get it right folks !!! 

**potato girl:** connie i-- 

**potato girl:** i cannot keep defending you bestie </3 

**discount aang:** SASH ur a fucking traitor </3 

**potato girl:** GUYSSSS PLSSSS back 2 the regularly scheduled program!!!!! [crying emoji x2]

**potato girl:** i came up w THEE most BRILLIANT plan [smiling purple devil emoji]

**marco polo:** Please Sasha, just tell us before we get sidetracked again !! [sad emoji]

**potato girl:** I THINK!! that we should set them up together...hehehe [smiling purple devil emoji]

**marco polo:** [shocked face emoji x3]

**marco polo:** Omg !! Rom-com style !!! [looking eyes emoji]

**potato girl:** YESSS EXACTLYYY LIKE THEY DID IN CLUELESS

**marco polo:** And in Much Ado, which we’re reading right now !!! Also I love that movie Sasha. I approve !!! 

**discount aang:** sash why would we do that that’s like hella extra work on top of our homework

**potato girl:** EXACTLYYYY 

**horse face:** Hah?????!?!!!

**potato girl:** bruh if they fall in love mr. ackerman is gonna grade our shit easier hellooo??? cuz love makes ppl messy duh 

**horse face:** marco and i are in love and we’re not messy wtf do you mean

**potato girl: [**._. emoji]

**discount aang: [**._. emoji x2]

**potato girl:** not you pretending like you didn’t lose your shit the first time you fell in love [._. emoji + hand up emoji] and you still don’t have your shit together bye!!!!

**marco polo:** They’re right, Jean, you were so awkward. Kinda like a puppy. [happy blushing emoji] Really cute haha.

**potato girl** : freckled jesus is always spitting facts frfr [praying hands emoji]

**discount aang:** lmao jean quit acting like you dont simp over marco everyday. we see you texting him in class when ur not together

**marco polo:** Haha what would you do without me babe !! [;) winking emoji]

**horse face:** you guys are fr the fucking worst i hate you all. Except you marco.

**discount aang:** awwww we love u too dude <3 

**potato girl:** they hated jesus bc he told them the truth </3 

**marco polo:** [heart emojis x 3] (But Connie and Sasha are also right haha) 

**horse face:** you fucking bullies. I will leave this mf groupchat. i’m reporting you for bullying. 

**potato girl:** anyways who even got you n marco together ??? oh yea. ME AND CONNIE!!! y’all would not have confessed if it wasn’t for us you dummies. [rolling eye emoji x 5]

**horse face:** Ok yeah yeah whatever.

**discount aang:** that’s right baybeee!!!!! springles is the dream team!!! the SCHEME TEAM!!! no one has anything on us and that’s on 

**potato girl:** PERIOD!!!!!! [sent with confetti]

**potato girl:** anyways so here’s my plan...we help them get together. cuz like duh we want it to happen organically right??? but like maybe they just need that little push. like what we did w jean n marco.

**marco polo:** Count me in !!! I love this :) 

**discount aang:** bro i swear they are soulmates. like in mr. ackerman’s class today he was like “don’t indent halfway across the page” and in ms bennet’s class she was like “please do not double tab on your essays'' and i was like dude that’s like almost the same exact thing 

**marco polo:** Connie...

**horse face:** Ok i’m not doing well in EITHER of those classes and I know damn well that is NOT the exact same thing

**marco polo:** Yeah, Connie...I think that’s just them as teachers teaching us formatting… 

**potato girl:** OKAY BUT SEE THEY ARE ASKING US TO FORMAT STUFF THE SAME WAY LIKE CMON NOW [shocked emoji x3]

**discount aang:** SEE SASH KNOWS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT!!!!

**horse face:** y’all are weird. 

**potato girl:** SKSKFSKLJG JEAN. you are lit rally friends w us.

**potato girl:** anyways like. they love books n tea n they’re both perfectionists like CMONNNN we have to do this. for their sakes bc they’re soulmates n just don’t know it yet n for OUR SAKES so we get better grades HEHE <3 also who knows if they DO get married n have babies they might name their kids after us <3 

**horse face:** hmm Ok. TBH i kinda like the idea of someone naming their kid after me. [smug emoji]

**discount aang:** ok ok let’s do this thang 

**potato girl:** y’all wanna meet up and get some boba? after connie and i’s shift at mcdonald’s is over btw. it’s short 2day 

**discount aang:** yuh meet us at the boba place next door see y’all there. we can plan this out more ehehehe [smiling purple devil emoji]

**horse face:** Ok marco and i will be there.

**discount aang:** i know damn well both of you are gonna be late

**marco polo:** No we won’t !!!!

**potato girl:** PLSSSS marco bruv [crying emoji] don’t even lie about it... we know why y’all are always late </3 

**discount aang:** [smug/suggestive emoji]

**horse face:** guess we’ll just have to start earlier then ;) 

**marco polo:** JEAN !!!!!!!!!!! 

**marco polo:** [blushing emoji face x6]

**potato girl:** ew pack it up achilles n patroclus 

**discount aang:** yea lol pack it up 

**discount aang:** sash who is that

**potato girl:** i…

**marco polo:** Don’t worry, Sash. I got the reference. Nice one :) 

**marco polo:** Okay, we won’t be late !!! See you guys there !!! :)

**potato girl:** SKSDFKJ THIS IS GONNA BE SO MUCH FUNNNN [heart eyes emoji x10] [sent with fireworks]

_[end]_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope y'all liked that haha. just a head's up, there will be a few of these in the fic! there will be a range of groupchats, not just the one w springlestein + marco. they will basically serve as interludes. i think they're funny. also it reminds me of scenes in shakespeare when the side characters are plotting (ex: hero and her maids + claudio and don pedro scheming to get the leads together. romcom style, yes ? hehe.) leave me some love in the comments pls <3 thank u <3


	3. Collision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a shorter chapter i know! but i am writing the next couple chapters already, and they’re almost done. PLS read the notes at the end. v important! thank u !! :) <3

There are very few times in your life where your blood has run cold in this exact way. When Petra confirms your inklings, you immediately curse the universe. Is Levi’s sudden unwelcome presence punishment for not going on that blind date? Another gut feeling tells you that this is only the beginning of something. You don’t know what it will be, but it’s something. Your life is about to be turned upside-down, and you are not prepared, not at all. 

“He doesn’t know that it’s me, right? He doesn’t know I’m the woman that stood him up, right?!” You’re in a panicked frenzy, and Petra is doing her best to calm you down. 

“Y/N, it was a blind date, of course he doesn’t know that it’s you. And besides...he’s not the type of person to pry about things like these. When he said you hadn’t showed up, he told me I’d wasted his time and that it was pointless. He couldn’t believe he let me talk him into doing this, knowing it wouldn’t work out.” 

“So...he didn’t ask about me?”

“No, like I said, he’s not the type of person who would.”

You breathe a sigh of relief, “To be honest, Petra, I don’t exactly know what I’m supposed to do with this information.” 

Petra shrugs, “Well...you said you didn’t like him earlier, so that’s that. You’ll never have to deal with him in that way.”

You rub your temples deeply. “Even so, I’m _still_ going to have to deal with hearing about him from my students. And they might ask me for more help, you know I can’t say no to them.”

“Hmm...I’ve got a solution for you.”

“What?”

“Oh, not much. Just make him fall in love with you, and it’s a win-win,” Petra cracks up, and you make a face.

“Petra, please! You exasperate me!” You exclaim as her laughter fills the walls of the English pod.

You pause for a minute, remembering that after you’d stood Levi up, he’d given your students multiple surprise essays. 

_Oh, no...is that why he dumped more work on them? Was he irritated?_

“You know, I think he took out his annoyance on our students, and that’s why he gave them extra essays.”

“Consider it karma, Y/N!” Petra laughs, “For standing him up and for letting my hard work go to waste. Do you know how difficult it was to convince him to agree? I had to get Hange and Erwin for help.” 

“Wait...do Hange and Erwin know that it’s me you tried to set Levi up with?!”

“No, but they trusted me enough to help. Best wingmen besides me,” she says with a tinge of pride.

“What did you even tell him about me?” 

“As much as I told you about him.”

“So nothing. The only thing I remember was that he doesn’t like tardy people. Petra, how did you even convince him to say yes?”

“Hm, well. I think it was Hange and Erwin that did that. They’re like, the only two people whose opinion Levi values that much. We got so lucky when he said yes.” She sighs, “Now we’ll never get that chance again.”

“As if I’d ever want another chance.”

“Oh, please, Y/N. Like I don’t notice your face getting all red when his name is mentioned.” 

Before you can protest, she interrupts, “Anyways, you owe me a favor now.” There’s a mischievous sparkle in her eye. You’re wary. 

She’s scheming, and you’re not sure what card she’s got up her sleeve. “What kind of favor are you thinking of?” You ask slowly.

“Will you chaperone the Winter Homecoming dance in my place, please? I know it’s sort of last minute, but Oluo and I were gonna go out Saturday to celebrate our anniversary.” 

“Petra! No way!”

Petra feigns an indignant gasp, “Y/N, I thought we were friends!”

“We are.”

“So cover me! Or else I’ll tell Levi that you’re the one who stood him up.”

“PETRA!”

“I mean, he won’t care, but I know you’d be mortified and die on the spot.”

“Last time I checked, friends don’t blackmail each other.” 

“Choose wisely,” She giggles cutely (but also threateningly?), and you, annoyed, give in. 

“Fine, I’ll do it,” you say begrudgingly, and she rejoices with a squeal, wrapping her arms around you in a loving hug. The lunch bell rings, and both of you clean up and head off to your last period classes.

When the kids begin to saunter in, you notice that they look much more defeated than they were the last time.

_Oh, no, Y/N. This is your fault. Something happened with Levi, didn’t it?_

Your suspicions are correct when Sasha comments, “Um, Ms. Bennet? What exactly did you say to Mr. Ackerman?” 

“Erm, why do you ask, Sasha?” You say, a bit nervous. Connie answers you, the dark circles under his eyes more prominent than before. “He gave us an extra fifty pages to read and do a report on. And he said we could thank you for that.”

“ _He what?!_ ” You exclaim loudly, making a few of your students in the front row jump. _That bastard._ You apologize profusely to the teens you’ve startled before continuing, “That is absolutely preposterous. I’m so sorry, you guys. I really tried with him, but he’s...him.” You resist the urge to curse in front of your students. 

They seem indifferent, and you go on, “I did try, really. But like I said before, most teachers aren’t a fan of someone barging in and telling them what to do with their class. I told him to consider your feelings, and he...well, he clearly didn’t.”

“It’s okay, Ms. Bennet. Thank you for trying,” Armin says comfortingly, and a few of your other students nod. “Yeah, thanks. At least you did something,” Eren agrees.

You ponder over what you should do next. If you decrease their workload, your whole class will be behind, and that just won’t do. If you keep the scheduled assignments, many of your students are bound to not do well. It’s a trial by fire. 

_It’s that damn Levi Ackerman’s fault! Tiny old man._

An idea pops into your head. It’s impulsive; dangerous. Not really something a teacher should be suggesting to their students, but it might work. 

“Hm, have you considered...a strike?” 

_Y/N. You’re insane for this. You could lose your job. You’ve only been working here for three years. They’d definitely keep Levi, who’s been working here since the school opened._

“A strike?” Marco asks, “Like, not doing our homework as a protest?”

“I’m down,” Eren says, raising his hand, “There’s enough of us from this class in his. If we don’t do our homework--”

“--He’ll be forced to change the class system!” Armin interrupts, “But that would put you in a really uncomfortable position, Ms. Bennet. It’s not like most of us would tell it was your idea...but he _is_ really intimidating. Someone could crack.”

_He’s right. This is a reckless plan. If they go through with it and it fails, I’ll have to deal with uppers. And Erwin would be disappointed in me. But...it would be kinda satisfying to see Levi be angry over this._ Was this petty? Yes. Did you care? Yes...and no. 

“You’re completely right, Armin. This could end in disaster. Statistically...well, I’ve never been good at math, that’s why I teach English.” You’re trying to make this lighthearted, to ease your nerves and theirs.

Continuing on, you say, “Statistically, it’ll probably crash and burn. But hey! You could always be a smart-ass and tell him you’re applying what you’ve learned in his class. Revolutions and rebellions and whatnot.” 

_My kids either think I’m hilarious or that I’m a mess. Or both._

“Ms. Bennet, you’re so funny,” Sasha grins, “You’re my favorite teacher.” Your smile in reply is warm. You love these kids, they remind you why you decided to go into teaching in the first place.

“Thank you, Sasha. Look, if someone tells Mr. Ackerman it was my suggestion, it’ll be alright with me. I can handle him,” you say, trying to seem more confident than you actually are. To be honest, you’re pretty scared. You don’t know what you’re getting into. 

Your eyes graze the faces of the teenagers in front of you. Your students are ecstatic. For some of them, this is the highlight of their senior year so far. And you like being known as the cool teacher, it does wonders for your self-esteem.

“Okay, now that that’s settled, let’s start the lesson before we lose any more time.” Your class dutifully follows your order and before you know it, the school day is over.

You’re walking through the parking lot in the late afternoon when you find that you’ve left your car keys back in your classroom. “Why does shit like this always happen to me?” you mutter to yourself, rummaging frantically through your bag for your classroom keys. You’re moving through the parking lot pretty fast, not paying attention to where you’re going. Inevitably, you run smack dab into another person. 

A paper cup of tea splatters all over the ground, nearly missing your feet. The remainder of the liquid begins to stain its owner’s clothing. You stumble backwards in your heels before apologizing instantly, reaching in your bag to grab a tissue or two. 

“Oh my Gosh, I’m so sorry, I--” You stop yourself when you realize who it is.

_Not Levi again! What the hell is this?!_

“I told you last time to watch where you’re going,” he glowers, and from his face, you surmise that you’re the sole reason his day has been ruined. You’re frozen, unsure of what you should do. You lift your arm so the tissues are right in front of him, and he retorts, “What good will those do? They won’t be any help.” 

You stuff the tissues back into your bag with a huff. “You know what? Maybe _you_ should have moved.” Your comeback is lackluster, but you’re in the mood to push some buttons. 

“This is my car,” he points to the black BMW that he’s standing by, “There would be no reason for me to do that.”

He opens the trunk of his car, and you note how neat it is. He picks up the cup of tea from the ground, placing it into a plastic bag he’s got stored in the back. _Well, at least he hates littering._

Levi pulls out a spare shirt (which, of course he has one). He angrily begins to unbutton his grey dress shirt, and you watch how diligently his hands move; how smooth they look. How nice they’d feel on your skin. 

_Y/N...stop it._

Next thing you know, he’s slipping the dirty clothing off and placing it in another plastic bag. What little sun left in the sky bounces off his bare skin, a bit damp from the tea. He’s reaching for the spare shirt and some wipes to clean himself. You’re eyeing him, mouth open in shock. 

His back is more muscular than you’d expected, and his abs; oh, good God. You’re not sure if the air has gotten warmer or if your body is just flaring up at the sight in front of you. He’s sculpted like the statue of David, and you resist the urge to close the distance between the both of you.

It’s sort of fitting; Levi’s built like a work of art. Carved from stone and brought to life, but still as rigid as his original material. Your brain tells your feet to _move, now!_ because you fear if you don’t, you’ll run your fingers over his abdomen or ask if you can wipe the tea off of him.

Your face is beet red, and you know this. 

Levi’s still glaring at you, and he speedily puts on his clothing piece, buttoning it as he goes on a brief tirade. 

“Now thanks to you, I’ve ruined a perfectly good shirt. I will have to get this dry-cleaned immediately and that will cost me extra.”

You snap out of your gaping at his words. “Well, maybe it’s karma, Mr. Ackerman,” you bite back viciously, “For being…the way that you are.” You give him a tight-lipped, irritated smile. He slams the trunk closed and removes his car keys from his pocket to open the driver’s door. 

“Are you just going to keep standing there or will I have to reenact our last encounter in the parking lot?” His tone has a hint of venom in it, his blue eyes stormy with disdain. 

But still, you find yourself slightly turned on. You’re not sure whether you’d like to kill him or kiss him. (More so kill than kiss, but the option still stands.)

“Good day,” you tell him sarcastically, heading off to your original destination. 

Thoughts of Levi plague your mind on the drive home. So maybe Petra was right -- maybe you did sort of have a thing for the five foot two, extremely grumpy history teacher. 

You can admit that you find him attractive. That you _are_ attracted to him. 

Despite his cold demeanor, there’s just something about him that you’re drawn to. Again, you believe that it’s probably the mystery clouding him that makes him so interesting. You've never been able to stay away from men like that -- you just can't help yourself. 

“Oh, Y/N,” you sigh, “Your taste in men has not upgraded.” Well, it has, just a little bit. Levi is certainly more handsome than your ex, and seemingly more intelligent. 

When you finally settle down in your apartment, you call for Hermes and notice that there’s a new message on your answering machine. You press play, and a voice you haven’t heard in months comes on.

“Hey, Y/N. Uh, it’s me--” You instantly delete it. What the fuck was your ex doing, calling you after almost a year? Was “I never want to see you again” not clear enough?!

_Did I manifest him back into my life by thinking about him? Jesus. I must be the universe’s favorite joke. How does he still have my number, anyway?!_

“Ughhh,” you groan, flopping down onto your cream-colored couch. Hermes jumps up, a ball of fluff coming to sit beside you. He meows, and you stroke his fur.

“Hermes, what the hell is going on?” You whine. You look at him, lying peacefully next to you, “My life was so peaceful. And then Levi Ackerman just had to become a recurring character, so now it’s a soap opera.” Hermes is purring now. You remember the day you got him from the shelter; sure, he was a break-up pet. A therapy pet. But he’s your son, and you wouldn’t exchange him for anything.

“You are so, so lucky, you know that? You don’t have to deal with cheating exes and...super hot but also super mean co-workers. You don’t have to grade papers, or worry about marriage. You just eat to your heart’s content, catch mice and get love and attention.” 

Your cat makes a small “mew” sound before jumping off the couch and walking away. Your phone buzzes, and it’s...Hange? 

The text reads, “Hi, Y/N! It’s Hange. Petra gave me your number, I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to come out and get drinks with us on Friday as a belated celebration for Erwin’s birthday! Would love for you to come, it’s at a karaoke bar downtown! It’ll be fun!” They’ve signed the text off with stickers of cartoon characters and one happy gif. Hange is so cute; you wish you were as optimistic as they were all the time. 

You read the text again before you realize that, if you go to this, you’ll most likely see Levi. Replying back to Hange, you inquire, “That sounds fun, Hange! But a karaoke bar?” _It would be really funny to see Levi absolutely not enjoying himself in public_ , you think.

Hange answers, “Yes, a karaoke bar! We have a carpool system setup with two designated drivers.” They send stickers of a cute bear drinking alcohol, and you laugh.

**You:** Who are the drivers? 

**Hange:** Mike and Levi! [cheering bear sticker]

**You:** Oh, nice! Who would my driver be?

**Hange:** Where do you live? [thinking bear sticker]

There’s a pinch in your gut. _It’s going to be Levi. He’s going to be my driver, I just know it._

You quickly send Hange your address, and your hunch is correct.

**Hange:** You get LEVI! Woo-hoo! He lives nearer to you so it would make more sense for him to come get you. [celebratory bear sticker]

**You:** Lovely. 

**Hange:** I’ll give him your number so he can tell you what time he’s getting you. 

Levi? Getting your number? Texting you outside of work?! This is all so surreal to you. You have to put your phone down for a minute, flipping it over so you can’t see the screen. You go to the kitchen to brew yourself some chamomile tea. When you’ve finished, you take a sip, burning the tip of your tongue in the process, but you don’t mind.

Your cell emits a small buzz. Your heart is pounding against your chest now, and you swiftly flip the phone over to check who it is that has texted you.

**Maybe: Levi Ackerman:** Hello.

You leave him on read for a few minutes unintentionally. _What the fuck am I supposed to say?!_

**You:** Hi! I guess you’re picking me up?

**Levi:** Unfortunately.

You squint at the screen, immediately going to change his name in your contacts to “Mr. Asshole.” (Not very original, but the impact is still there.)

**Mr. Asshole:** I have your address. You don’t need to send it again.

He is an awfully dry texter, and you have no idea how to respond. You wonder if he’s still mad about the incident from this afternoon. God, what was it with incidents happening between you and Levi in the school parking lot lately?!

**You:** Okay, thanks. 

**Mr. Asshole:** [singing bear sticker]

**Mr. Asshole:** Ignore that. I'm not sure what I pressed.

**You:** Don’t worry about it, it’s cute.

_It’s cute?! Y/N! I cannot believe you just said that! Also, if you were going to flirt, couldn’t you have made it more subtle?!_

But, because he _is_ Levi Ackerman after all, he doesn’t seem to catch it.

**Mr. Asshole:** I don’t see what’s ‘cute’ about it.

**You:** I wouldn’t expect you to. 

_Why are you so hot and cold, Y/N. Hm, I don’t know, maybe because this man simultaneously makes you want to rip your hair out, and also rip your clothes off for him? Oh my God, please stop._

**Mr. Asshole:** What exactly is that supposed to mean?

**You:** [shrugging bear sticker]

**Mr. Asshole:** Fine, don’t tell me.

**Mr. Asshole:** Be ready at 8 PM on Friday.

You gulp your tea down, wishing you’d mixed it with a little bit of vodka. When you make your way to your bedroom, you call Petra, hoping she’s not busy. 

“Hey, what’s up?” She asks, “Is something wrong?”

“Um, will you be going to Erwin’s birthday celebration on Friday?”

“Yup! I’ll see you there!”

“Levi’s the one driving me.”

Petra gasps, “Y/N! You’ve been having waaay too many coincidences for this to not be fate. The universe is trying to tell you something, you should listen.”

“Except I don’t know what the hell it’s trying to tell me,” you reply.

“All good things come to those who wait!” She says, sing-songy.

“Yeah, yeah. I just...I feel so conflicted right now. I think he’s extremely attractive, but I don’t know whether I should kiss him or kill him.”

“How about both?”

“Petra, I’m serious!”

“So am I!” She giggles.

“It’s like, he frustrates me but it makes me want to know him even more. Which is so weird.”

“Don’t fight it, Y/N. I tried to with Oluo, and look what happened. Maybe it _was_ a really good thing that you didn’t go on that blind date after all. Maybe your paths were meant to cross this way.”

“Maybe,” you tell her, “Anyways, I’ve gotta grade some papers. Thank you for listening to me about this.”

“Of course! What kind of friend would I be if I wasn’t supportive of you trying to get some?” You just know she’s smirking through the phone as she says this.

“Goodnight, Petra,” you say firmly, but lovingly.

“Sweet dreams, Y/N,” she tells you.

You’re so wrapped up in the recent unfolding of events that you’ve forgotten about the strike you suggested to your students. So many things have happened in such a short time. You have no idea what the future has in store for you; what exactly comes next.

But you, Y/N, so bright-eyed, should know that your world and Levi’s world have only just collided.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello lovely readers, it’s miss author ! thank u for all the love u have shown me on the first 1.5 chapters alone. v_v <3 it is so nice and it keeps me going. updates will be erratic/not very consistent bc i am a mere student rotting away in the process of getting my bachelor’s degree. it is also midterms and i have three essays to write but i am prioritizing this fic before them bc it brings me serotonin. (but i should work on my midterm essays bye.) i hope this fic brings you serotonin too. :> i am doing my best !! much love !! <3


	4. GROUPCHAT 2

**GROUPCHAT NAME:** peepeepoopoo squad    
**GROUPCHAT MEMBERS:** sasha/connie/jean/marco

* * *

**discount aang:** am i the only one who is scared about tomorrow.

**horse face:** Lol don’t be a baby connie.

**discount aang:** why are you calling me baby when you cant do anything without marco 

**horse face:** NOT TRUE!!!

**marco polo:** Slightly true. [sheepish emoji]

**horse face:** babe please. [crying emoji]

**discount aang:** bro i have a bad feeling about this…

**potato girl:** about the “strike” that ms. bennet suggested we should do? ya we’re def gonna get in trouble w mr. ackerman lol. also no one better snitch or my dad is gonna kill me bye </3 

**discount aang:** BRO MY MOM WILL KILL ME IF SHE GETS A PHONE CALL FROM THE SCHOOL!!!!

**horse face:** MINE TOO!!!!

**discount aang:** and what if we get banned from going to the homecoming dance this saturday?

**marco polo:** That’s a valid concern to have, Connie, but I don’t really think that all twenty of us are going to be banned. That’s a lot of students, and we already paid for our tickets.

**marco polo:** I know it’s a daunting task, but I think we’ll be fine, you guys. Don’t worry so much !!! :)

**potato girl:** spoken like a true gemini. marco, you’re such an optimist. how are you with jean LOL. [crying laughing emoji x3]

**marco polo:** Opposites attract, remember? ;)

**horse face:** marco are you on my side or not.

**discount aang:** why do i feel like this is only gonna make our lives worse.

**potato girl:** trust the process, connie. [rolling eyes emoji] 

**potato girl:** also what are y’all wearing to the dance? connie n i are matching in blue. 

**discount aang:** ms. bennet could get in trouble and it would lw be our faults too lol. 

**discount aang:** yea sash and i are gonna look so good frfr. ;)

**potato girl:** let’s let the adults handle their adult lives shall we?? [smiling purple devil emoji]

**marco polo:** I do feel a bit bad, what if she does get in trouble? :( 

**marco polo:** Also, Jean and I will be matching in black !!! :)

**horse face:** i’m more concerned about saving our own asses.

**marco polo:** Have some empathy, Jean !!! She could lose her job. :( 

**discount aang:** are we taking this too far maybe?

**potato girl:** well it was her idea for us to do the strike in the first place. i don’t wanna let her down. </3 

**marco polo:** Oh, Sasha’s right. Team Ms. Bennet !!

**horse face:** Dude ms. bennet fr hates mr. ackerman...remember when we were spying on them in the parking lot after school earlier? she was so mad at him. 

**potato girl:** jean i’m so glad you wanted to practice driving after school, cuz if you didn’t we wouldn’t have been able to see that hehe. [smiling purple devil emoji x3]

**marco polo:** Jean’s going to be able to sing “Driver’s License” in a couple of weeks when he takes his test !!! :) 

**discount aang:** I WAS RIGHT ABOUT MR. ACKERMAN BEING SHREDDED SO SASHA OWES ME $10!!!!! 

**potato girl:** o yea i almost shit my pants cuz he was [fire emoji, embarrassed emoji]. i’ll venmo you in a sec connie but like. WHEWWW…[blushing emoji].

**horse face:** sasha your daddy issues are showing. [crying laughing emoji x3]

**potato girl:** shut up jean you WISH you were that ripped under your shirt sorry that you’re a spaghetti noodle but anyways you guys. they r enemies 2 friends 2 luuuvers. <3 damn i need a box of chocolates to eat now this shit has me CRYIN!!! [crying emoji x3] they’re goals. <3 

**horse face:** I AM NOT A SPAGHETTI NOODLE WTF!!!! FUCK OFF!!!

**marco polo:** You’re my spaghetti noodle, babe! <3

**marco polo:** Also yes, Sasha !!! My favorite trope besides childhood besties !! :)

**horse face:** Well their in the enemies stage rn let’s hope that they make it out of it soon.

**marco polo:** *They’re. We went over this last time babe. :( 

**discount aang:** hi my name is jean i’m 17 and i never learned how to fucking read [sad emoji]

**horse face:** Can y’all make fun of connie he’s literally the token straight in this friend group.

**potato girl:** firstable, connie kisses his homies goodnight so idk about that.

**discount aang:** [kissy face emoji x7]

**horse face:** no one wants a kiss from your short ass, springer.

**discount aang:** ur mom said the opposite last night ;)

**horse face:** DONT TALK ABOUT MY MOM!!! 

**marco polo:** Ms. Bennet and Mr. Ackerman have chemistry. I think that’s something we can all agree on. It’s like in the rom-coms when the leads despise each other but secretly want to b*ne. [blushing emoji] 

**marco polo:** Oh, before I forget !! I told Dr. Zoe that the teachers should celebrate Principal Smith’s birthday all together !! I have no idea if they took my advice but I tried !! :) They seemed really happy about it though, and went to go tell Principal Smith right after !! :O If it works out then it puts Ms. Bennet and Mr. Ackerman in the same vicinity for a good amount of time !! 

**potato girl:** OMG well. we’ll see tomorrow. we’ll ask ms. bennet what she’s doing on the weekend.

**potato girl:** [heart eyes emoji x2] our ship is sailing y’all!!! they have sexual tension. it’s amazing n i feel like i’m in a wattpad movie. i need ice cream!!! [crying emoji, ice cream emoji]

**horse face:** sasha did you eat too much sugar again bc i feel like it’s rotting your brain.

**potato girl:** at least my brain wasn’t rotting from the start. [rolling eyes emoji]

**horse face:** RUDE!!!!! [angry emoji]

**potato girl:** i’m way too invested in their love story. [blushing emoji]

**discount aang:** maybe its bc we are literally working behind the scenes for them. [crying laughing emoji x2]

**marco polo:** I believe in us !!! :)

**potato girl:** freckled jesus has spoken. thank you marco! we got this!!! ;)

_ [end] _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no one:   
> the other kids in the class who don’t have levi and are just waiting to graduate: o_o 
> 
> also. ahhhh. kids being kids. being v stupid but it’s funny. this is a disaster and it won’t end well but it’s funny watching it unfold. they mean so well. i love them. u_u <3


End file.
